<p>There is a fight every morning with three or four autorickshaw drivers,” says Aradhana Makheja, who travels to work from Vasant Kunj to Okhla. At least twice a week she gets to office in a bad mood, the corporate employee says.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Similar stories are heard all over the city whenever the topic of autowalas comes up.<br />“Most autowallas do not agree to go by the meter. I travel to Sheikh Sarai Phase I every day. By the meter, the fare is around Rs 40 but the autowallas ask for Rs 70-80. It has become a daily affair now,” says Simi Sethi from East of Kailash.<br /><br />“The main issue undoubtedly is fares. Once I was coming from Bikaner House stand for Jaipur-bound buses. And the auto asked for Rs 300 for a distance of six kilometres. I asked him if he thought I was a moron or someone new to the city whom he could loot,” says Manu Singh, a lawyer.<br /><br />Pragyan Kaushik from Rohini says even if the auto drivers agree to go by the meter, they ask for Rs 10-20 extra. “They are not scared even if you threaten to call police,” he says. The change is never returned, unlike in Mumbai where even Rs 2 is given back, he adds.<br />He complains that something like Rs 43 or 45 is automatically 'rounded off' to Rs 50 by autorickshaw drivers.<br /><br />Tough time at night<br /><br />It is even tougher to negotiate at night. <br />“Officially the night charge starts at 11 pm. But in certain areas like Dwarka and some parts of Ring Road, they start to charge night fare after 9 pm. This is more so when they see a woman or a group of females,” says Swarna, a Delhi University student staying in Dwarka as a paying guest.<br /><br />There are other complaints as well.<br />“Many a time they will take you to a gas station without telling in advance. You have no option but to concede and get delayed by 10-15 minutes,” says Nityanand Rao from Mayur Vihar. <br /><br />He adds that at times the auto drivers ask for extra money for going by a longer route to avoid traffic jams – even if they end up taking the usual route.<br />“It is said competition leads to lowering of prices. But not in this case. Wherever there is an auto stand, all autowalas come together in collusion and hike the price. A person has no way out. If autos from other localities stop and offer a cheaper price, the locals fight with them, even physically,” says Makheja.<br /></p>
<p>There is a fight every morning with three or four autorickshaw drivers,” says Aradhana Makheja, who travels to work from Vasant Kunj to Okhla. At least twice a week she gets to office in a bad mood, the corporate employee says.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Similar stories are heard all over the city whenever the topic of autowalas comes up.<br />“Most autowallas do not agree to go by the meter. I travel to Sheikh Sarai Phase I every day. By the meter, the fare is around Rs 40 but the autowallas ask for Rs 70-80. It has become a daily affair now,” says Simi Sethi from East of Kailash.<br /><br />“The main issue undoubtedly is fares. Once I was coming from Bikaner House stand for Jaipur-bound buses. And the auto asked for Rs 300 for a distance of six kilometres. I asked him if he thought I was a moron or someone new to the city whom he could loot,” says Manu Singh, a lawyer.<br /><br />Pragyan Kaushik from Rohini says even if the auto drivers agree to go by the meter, they ask for Rs 10-20 extra. “They are not scared even if you threaten to call police,” he says. The change is never returned, unlike in Mumbai where even Rs 2 is given back, he adds.<br />He complains that something like Rs 43 or 45 is automatically 'rounded off' to Rs 50 by autorickshaw drivers.<br /><br />Tough time at night<br /><br />It is even tougher to negotiate at night. <br />“Officially the night charge starts at 11 pm. But in certain areas like Dwarka and some parts of Ring Road, they start to charge night fare after 9 pm. This is more so when they see a woman or a group of females,” says Swarna, a Delhi University student staying in Dwarka as a paying guest.<br /><br />There are other complaints as well.<br />“Many a time they will take you to a gas station without telling in advance. You have no option but to concede and get delayed by 10-15 minutes,” says Nityanand Rao from Mayur Vihar. <br /><br />He adds that at times the auto drivers ask for extra money for going by a longer route to avoid traffic jams – even if they end up taking the usual route.<br />“It is said competition leads to lowering of prices. But not in this case. Wherever there is an auto stand, all autowalas come together in collusion and hike the price. A person has no way out. If autos from other localities stop and offer a cheaper price, the locals fight with them, even physically,” says Makheja.<br /></p>
